The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan has become one of the world's least-funded humanitarian crises as global humanitarian financing has fallen to its lowest level since 2019, while Sweden has been recognized for continuing to allocate aid based on humanitarian need, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The NRC said only 30% of the humanitarian funding required
worldwide has been provided so far in 2026, warning that millions of vulnerable
people are being left without assistance as several Western donor countries
reduce aid budgets.
NRC Secretary-General Jan Egeland said strategic and
political considerations have increasingly influenced international aid
decisions, but Sweden has continued to prioritize humanitarian needs despite
reducing its overall aid spending.
"There is no doubt that Sida and, by extension, Sweden
have had a tradition of always giving where the needs are greatest when it
comes to humanitarian aid," Egeland said, adding that humanitarian
assistance should remain separate from political and military considerations.
"You have to distinguish between the regime and people
in need. You can't reduce food rations for starving children," he said.
Afghanistan has been particularly affected after the United
States ended all humanitarian assistance to the country, despite previously
providing more than 40% of humanitarian aid there through 2024.
Egeland said Afghan civilians, particularly women and
children, are bearing the consequences of the funding cuts.
"Women and children are being punished for what the men
in power have done," he said.
The NRC also expressed concern about the estimated 4 million
Afghan refugees living in Iran, saying their situation has worsened amid Iran's
economic crisis following the recent conflict involving the United States and
Israel.
According to Egeland, many Afghan refugees in Iran have lost
their homes and livelihoods, while receiving little assistance from either Iran
or the international community.
Globally, humanitarian crises in countries such as the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan remain
among the most underfunded despite growing needs, while conflicts in Lebanon,
Ukraine and Gaza have received greater international attention.
The NRC estimates that 252 million people worldwide will
require humanitarian assistance in 2026. As of June 24, 2026, donors had
contributed $10.2 billion, covering just over 30% of the funding required.
The organization said Sweden has contributed $747 million in
humanitarian assistance so far this year and continues to prioritize support
for the world's most vulnerable populations, including those in Afghanistan.
According to the NRC, humanitarian operations in Afghanistan,
Yemen, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali remain among the least-funded response
efforts worldwide, raising concerns that millions of people could face
worsening food insecurity and reduced access to essential humanitarian
services.
